My 25 By 25 List

What's a 25 by 25 list?
It's a list of things you want to accomplish before you turn 25. Now, I just had a birthday. I turned 24.

Yes, I took a picture of myself jumping on my birthday. I'm weird like that. 

SO, my list. It actually took me much longer than I thought to come up with this list. I also would like to sidestep for a second to point out my poofy hair in that jumping picture -__-

I am leaning towards a pixie cut....and soon. We'll see if I go through with it. 

I'm thinking we'll just get right to the list. I will also be doing this on my other blog to keep myself super accountable. My other blog is a different style of blogging and writing, but I believe this list needs to be everywhere, I don't want to cut myself short. 

Now, in no particular order...

1. Keep a budget
2. Get a new car
3. 1000 miles (run or bike)
4. Read 25 books
5. Try 25 new things
6. Take a pole dancing or self defense class
7. Try another 3 day detox
8. Make a new friend
9. Get my health coach certification
10. Stop biting my nails
11. Have a movie marathon {Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter...}
12. Sell my photography
13. Grow something {more importantly, don't kill it}
14. Get a laptop
15. Save money
16. Start paying off student loans and credit cards
17. Hike the narrows or subway
18. Learn some German
19. Get better sleep
20. Visit a new National Park
21. Get indoor plants to detox the air
22. Clear up my skin
23. Complete 25 projects
24. Document my life {project life scrapbooking}
25. Make the best of it!

That's my list. Did you make one? Plan on making one? What would you add? I'm thinking of making it look fun and hanging it up on my walls somewhere to keep reminding me of what's on my list so I can keep focused. Think I can do it? I have no clue to be honest. 

I'll tell you this, I'm already back on a running schedule {#3}, I have started using YNAB {#1}, I've set up a photography website/Etsy/Blog/Facebook page {#12}, I got a full-time position at the job I'm at {#15, #16, #14, #2}, I live near two or three National Parks I haven't been to {#20}, I already have the Project Life supplies/camera/blog {#24}, I have plenty of books awaiting one-on-one time on the Kindle {#4}, and I've picked up some materials to assist in learning German {#18}... 

That's a start, but there's a lot to be done to get through it!! Keep following me to find out how this journey goes. 

That's me, on my 24th birthday, making the most of life.

Why We Work

We work because... 

 ♥ He eats the stuff I don't like and saves the stuff I do like.

♥ We both love each other's butts

♥ I understand his quirky way of telling me he loves me

♥ We workout together

♥ I make him lunch every night before he goes to work

♥ He eats everything I make {even if it isn't that good}

♥ We play video games together

♥ He cleans the bathroom {he started cooking and doing dishes, too!}

♥ I usually move the seat back after I drive, unless I intentionally want to hear him say, "What is this? A car for ANTS!?!" hahahaha it gets me every time ;)

♥ We help each other with our goals

♥ We like to do everything together, even pay the bills

♥ He understands my gibberish, I've gotten so accustomed to it that I hardly speak clear english and only realize it when others are around...staring at me. 

♥ He takes photos of me knowing that I'm always the one behind the camera

♥ We go on adventures together

♥ We support and love each others families

♥ We work because we know what we need from each other. We work because we made a few things clear from the start and kept working at it. We know what the other needs. 

♥ We work because he's shy and quiet and I'm bold and loud. We work because I'm social and he's well...not. We work because we trust each other. 

♥ We work because he takes care of me and I take care of him. 

Diving in Head First

So I finally did it. I opened up my photo business online. I was on the edge, forcing myself to jump into the portrait photography business when it's landscapes, natures, and cityscapes that I love to shoot. Why was I going to force myself to participate in portrait photography when it's not my favorite thing? Kind of seems a little ass-backwards {if you don't mind me saying}. You get into a passionate business like photography because you love it and want to get paid doing what you love. Why then should you settle for less? Well, I had this feeling that it was the only way to go about getting paid for photography. I had this idea that it was either portraits or no one would pay me. So far I'm right, but I'm happier for trying to go at what I really love.

I set up an Etsy shop with my photography. I crunched all the ridiculous numbers. The charges from Etsy, PayPal, the drop shipping {so my customers don't get a branded box with invoices inside}, the cost of the actual photographic print with my personal favorite pearl photo papers, and the sales tax. What I'm left with is barely enough to profit, but it's a profit. The first time I saw a photographer charging $30 dollars for an 8 X 10 I thought, "Holy smokes they're making BANK!" I guess now that I'm knee deep in my own calculations, I was wrong. However, no one else will see that.

I need to focus my energy on marketing to the people that either understand that or to the people that will appreciate the original photographic art they can get in their home at the end.
Not only do I have the Etsy store, but also a website of my own: www.gladyannephotography.com. I officially got it up and running about a week ago. It has a store and blog. I encourage everyone to check it out, this stuff is hard work {good thing it's fun} and I'm trying to get a handle on it all before I get into a full-time groove at my job.

For all my lovely readers out there, I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I've made a special coupon code for my blog readers: BLOGLOVE24
The code I published on all my social networks will do the same, give you 24% off; however, this one is special because I gave you guys more time to use it. The code that you'll find on my facebook page is good through the 17th in celebration of Valentine's day and my 24th birthday. This code is good through the end of February in celebration of both those things and you, my readers. It is the month of Love, right?

♥ Until Next Time ♥